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GFI Highlights July E-Threats as Malware-Laced Autowhaler and Codec-Disguised Scareware

GFI Software has just declared the Top Ten e-threats it identified during July 2011. Among those the company highlighted, an "autowhaler" app carrying malicious software that was released for contaminating cyber-criminals who tried to filch info from phishers, and one new scareware offering phony codec in exchange of payment following its deactivation of video players on victims' computers, were noteworthy.

Speaking further about the new e-threats, Christopher Boyd, Senior Threat Researcher of GFI Software stated that the malicious codec, bogus autowhaler along with other e-threats detected during July 2011 highlighted the increasing innovation and sophistication capabilities prevalent among developers of malware as well as the constant way in which cyber-crime techniques evolved. Cbronline.com published this on August 8, 2011.

Boyd further stated that the autowhaler was particularly significant since it was indicative of even cyber-criminals being prone to contaminations online. Anyone who connected to the Net became a target. Thus, computer operators required being watchful since malware developers were continuously discovering fresh techniques for disguising their scams, he added.

GFI, alongside the above mentioned e-threats, said that there were some popular camouflages such as abuse of prominent current events, exploitation of goods and incidences via SEO corruption, spam assaults, and malevolent URLs. For instance, the security company investigated malicious software pretending to be the popularly used Adobe Flash Player plug-ins and Skype communication facility. Further, it provided information on the way malware and spam could hijack people's PCs that accessed genuine websites, say, SourceForge as its pages connected to a website spreading FakeRean a scareware.

Moreover, according to GFI's new report, 50% of the ten most prevalent detections discovered in July 2011 were still generic Trojans such as Trojan.Win32.Generic (27.77%), INF.Autorun (v)(1.43%), Trojan.Win32.Adware (1.42%), Trojan.Win32.Jpgiframe (v) (1.24%), and Trojan.JS.Redirector.cd (v) (1.18%).

In addition, the company released certain advisories, with one cautioning Internet-users for being careful about possible search keywords that scammers targeted like news of players and teams associated with the forthcoming NFL sports as well as gossips regarding the upcoming model of iPhone.

Users must remain vigilant and shun taking down things except if they were from an authentic source, GFI concluded.

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